EOSC 114- Storms, Tornadoes Exam Questions and Answers Graded A+

EOSC 114- Storms, Tornadoes Exam Questions and Answers Graded A+ Storm Learning Goals #1 - Answers 1) Define Sensible heat, latent heat, humidity, air parcel, buoyancy, saturation, and explain how they work together to form TStorms 2) Describe why the fact that cold air holds less water vapour is critical in explaining how TStorms can extract energy from humid air 3) Recognize Tstorms, be able to identify TStorm components, and explain how they evolve 4) List and describe 6 different Tstorm hazards (downbursts, gust fronts, hail, rain, lightening, and tornadoes) and explain how they form and why they are hazardous 5) Explain the main characteristics that make a supercell so much nastier than a normal Tstorm 6) Calculate your risk of a supercell Tstorm in Vancouver Components of weather (4) - Answers 1) Temperature 2) Moisture 3) Wind 4) Pressure -Weather occurs in the troposphere (first 11km) ex. lithosphere->troposphere->stratosphere Define Pressure Differentials - Answers -Differences in pressure causes wind -Winds push air parcels from high pressure -> low pressure What Powers Storms (8) - Answers 1) Heat a) Sensible heat b) Latent heat 2) Humidity 3) Air parcel 4) Saturation 5) Buoyancy 6) Air pressure 7) Boundary layer 1) Heat - Answers -Sensible heat is turned into Latent heat a) Sensible -> latent = solid ->liquid->gas b) Latent -> sensible = gas -> solid a) Sensible Heat - Answers -Heat we can sense, feel (measure) ex. measure temperature = measure sensible heat b) Latent Heat - Answers -"Hidden" heat energy -Heat stored during change of state ex. melting, boiling, sublimating -Released as SENSIBLE heat, when condensing or freezing -DRIVES the state change Q: Why do you feel cold out of the shower? - Answers A: Liquid water uses heart from your body to become water vapour 2) Humidity - Answers -Amount of water held in the air as vapour a) Absolute Humidity - Answers -Mass of water / Mass air -Amount of CONTENT (ex. gas, liquid) itself, irrespective of container b) Relative Humidity - Answers -% of maximum water vapour that COULD be in the air -How much content is TAKING UP THE SPACE available 3) Air Parcel - Answers -Theoretical package of air, doesn't mix much with surrounding air Q: An air parcel has 50% relative humidity. If it is cooled, the relative humidity will... - Answers A: Increase -Less space, same amount of water vapour takes of more of the total space 4) Saturation - Answers -Relative humidity is 100% -If cooled, water will CONDENSE -Releases energy that was stored as latent heat Define Dew Point - Answers -The TEMPERATURE when air is saturated of an air parcel 5) Buoyancy - Answers -Warm air LESS DENSE than cold air -If air parcel is warmer than surrounding, it rises 6) Air Pressure - Answers -Lower pressure/expanding at higher elevations (cools) -Higher pressure/compressing at lower elevations (hot so it rises and cools) 7) Boundary Layer - Answers -Layer of air closest to the ground -Boundary layer warmed (sensible heat) by sun -Boundary layer can gain humidity (evaporates H2O (latent heat) Cumulus Clouds - Answers -Puffy 'popcorn like' clouds -Cloud in VAPOUR state, ready to convert into liquid Cumulus Humilis - Answers -(Humble) -Fair weather cumulus clouds -Small Cumulus Congestus - Answers -Towering cumulus clouds -Length with updrafts Cumulonimbus Clouds - Answers -Large (tall) thick clouds -Cloud base near ground -Top of cloud is at 11km (top of troposphere) -ANVIL/MUSHROOM top, up to 100s of km wide -Can signal a storm on the way How Tstorms work (10) - Answers 1) Updrafts -differential heating of ground 2) Rising air parcel cools -hold less water vapour 3) Vapour condenses -releases latent heat (and rain)